Psalm 57 A Psalm of David when he fled from Saul in the cave at Ein Gedi on the west coast of the Dead Sea. Read 1 Samuel 24. Commentary by Dennis Edwards. Part 2 To go back to Part 1 click HERE.
Psalm 57:5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.
The great
men of the earth try to exalt themselves. In the book of Revelation talking
about the Great Whore Commercial System of the world, called Babylon the Great;
her “merchants were the great men of the earth; for by their sorceries were all
nations deceived,” Revelation 18:23b. Through finance the great men exalt
themselves above all. They rule over the political rulers of the nations.
The time
will come when the Antichrist will bring them down. It is prophesized in
chapters 17 and 18 in the book of Revelation. Then the Antichrist will exalt
himself above everything that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he
as God shall sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, 2
Thessalonians 2:4.
“But the
Lord shall consume (him, the Antichrist) with the spirit of His mouth, and
shall destroy with the brightness of His coming,” 2 Thessalonians 2:8b.
“He shall
smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips
shall He slay the wicked,” Isaiah 11:4b.
The rapture
takes place at the end of the 3 ½ years of great tribulation found in
Revelation chapters 8-10 under the seven trumpets. Jesus comes back at the
rapture at the last trumpet, the 7th. At that point begins the
bowels or cups of the Wrath of God which lasts a short 75-day period. Those
that exalted themselves and refused to submit unto God, shall be brought low.
“Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes the wars to cease unto the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that the Lord is God: He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth,” Psalm 46:8-10 adapted.
As the Millennium begins, the Lord shall be exalted.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains (in Jerusalem); and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the house of God…and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall the learn war anymore,” Isaiah 2:2-4.
Jesus will rule and reign on earth for a thousand years. God will highly exalt Him. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:10-11.
Psalm 57:6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
The evil that Saul had sought for David, in the end, came upon Saul himself and his own family. David did not lift up his hand against Saul, the King of Israel. David trusted in the Lord, that the Lord would take care of Saul, and He did.
Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Our hearts need to be fixed on the Lord. We cannot have any other gods before Him. We should be fastened to the Lord through our love and obedience to His word and His voice, which speaks to us during quiet meditation and prayer. Joshua said,
“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the laws, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,” Joshua 22:5.
Apostle Paul said,
“But none of these things (his bonds and afflictions) move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God,” Acts 20:24.
We need to build the house of our life on obedience to God’s word so that the storms, the winds, the floods of life do not overflow and wash it away. If we keep God first in our life, He promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you,” Isaiah 43:2.
If our hearts are fixed on the Lord, we can sing and give praise no matter what is happening, because we know He will work all things together for our good, Romans 8:28. We can, therefore, in everything give thanks, 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Psalm 57:8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
Jesus Himself awoke a great while before it was day and went out alone into a mountain to pray. If Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, needed time alone with God to pray, should we not, also, commit our waking moments to Him in prayer, meditation, reading His word, song, thanksgiving and praise?
We need to wait upon the Lord in the quiet hours of the day before the business of the day is upon us. We need time with God to receive the strength, the wisdom, the direction, the guidance, the love, the patience, the understanding and all the other spiritual gifts we need to confront the problems and difficulties that the day will bring. Spending time with God is not for His benefit, but for ours. He transforms us in the process and imputes to us all the spiritual blessings we need for the day.
David said, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice,” Psalm 55:17. If we spend that time with God, He will make our faces to shine. He will lighten our candles and we will be able to shine forth to the nations with the love and truth of the gospel. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven,” Matthew 5:16.
Psalm 57:9-10 I will praise You, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto You among the nations. For Your mercy is great unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds.
Again, we see the phrase “mercy and truth,” or today we might say, “love and truth.” Apostle Paul tells us that among faith, hope, and love; love is the greatest attribute. Apostle John says that God is love. Pauls writes that “love rejoices in the truth,” 1 Corinthians 13:6b. He says, we should speak the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15.
Truth without love is too harsh. Love without truth is too soft. Truth and love standing together present a perfect picture of the character of God. They are like the central pillars holding up His temple. Those characteristics were uniquely manifested in Jesus our Saviour, kind and good, loving and truthful.
Psalm 57:11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Your glory be above all the earth.
God shall soon be exalted above the heavens. “The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever,” Revelation 11:15. “The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever,” Daniel 2:44.
“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one,” Zechariah 14:9. “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” Isaiah 9:6b. “For there is one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved,” Acts 4:12. That name is JESUS!
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Originally published March 23, 2025.
